t o m o r r o w ::
by Myomi-chan
Summary: After this year, they would all be going to different colleges. After this year, they would be too old for Camp Konoha. After this year, they might never see each other again. "But seriously," laughed Sakura breathlessly, "I don't want to canoe." For Naru-Fest 2012. A collection of loosely-related one-shots.
1. Chapter 1

**:.: :.:**

Disclaimer: Naruto characters are not mine. 'Kay. Done.

**AN: Please review on my DeviantArt version of this. ^^ Thanks, and enjoy!**

* * *

"No."  
"Aww, c'mon, Sakura-chan."  
"No."  
"But-"  
"_NO._"  
"-Sakura-cha-"  
"I said **_NO!_**"  
**WHAM!**  
Uzumaki Naruto went bouncing across the water, not unlike a skipping stone. Uchiha Sasuke looked on, an amused expression on his face, as Haruno Sakura huffed, turning away from where she had just launched her blonde companion. Beyond, the lake rippled and splashed; waves caused by the strong winds blowing over them gently pulled and pushed at their feet along the bank. The sky was a deep blue, and thin clouds dotted the horizon. Around them, a forest grew, branches swaying and creaking, leaves rustling and falling lazily to the forest floor. Birds chirped and fluttered about happily.  
All was calm and peaceful for a moment.  
And then Uzumaki Naruto resurfaced.  
"Gaaaaaaah!" he yelled, dripping as he splashed back to where Sakura and Sasuke stood. Sand and dirt clung to his legs and feet as he stumbled towards them. "Sakura-chan, that _hurt!_"  
Sakura ignored him, her attention turned on Sasuke.  
"What do _you_ want to do?"she asked brightly.  
Sasuke shrugged.  
"I don't have a preference," he said nonchalantly. Sakura sighed.  
"See?" said Naruto enthusiastically. "I'm the only one with a good idea!"  
Sakura wheeled on him, eyes alight with fury.  
"I am _not_," she spat, "canoeing! No _way_, no _how!_"  
Naruto frowned, running a hand through his wet hair.  
"Only because you can't swim," he grumbled.  
Sakura shot the boy a venomous look and he whimpered, taking an involuntary step backwards.  
He proceeded to trip over a rock, and fell backwards with a startled yelp into the water.  
"Sakura-chan!" he yelled unhappily, shaking his head back and forth vigorously. He quickly splashed water up at Sakura, who squealed in protest.  
"Narutooo!"  
Naruto laughed and kicked some water at Sasuke as well. The young Uchiha flinched in surprise, and Naruto let out a cry of triumph.  
"Hah!" he yelled. "I gotcha!"  
Sasuke glared down at Naruto, and in one swift motion lifted his foot and pushed Naruto's forehead, causing the blonde to fall back into the water yet again.  
As Naruto floundered, Sasuke found himself under attack by Sakura, who scooped water into her hands and flung it at his face. He sputtered for a second or two, during which time Naruto managed to right himself.  
And the splashing wars began.  
For as long as they could remember, the three friends had spent their summers together. Sent away to a sleepover camp, the three had been put in the same day-group from their first day at the camp; it was how they had met. The time they spent together formed a bond between the three unlike any other. They did everything together.  
At least, until summer was over, and they all returned home to different parts of the country for another year of learning and exams and school.  
Despite this, they were the best of friends.  
"But seriously," laughed Sakura breathlessly, collapsing beside an exhausted Naruto. Sasuke soon joined them, and they sat together as water lapped at their toes. "I don't want to canoe."  
Naruto shrugged.  
"It was only a suggestion, Sakura-chan," he replied.  
They were silent for a while until they heard the crunching of sandals on gravel. They looked up as one and saw a figure approaching through the forest gravel path leading to the lake.  
"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto called, "Quit reading perverted books!"  
The bandana tied around part of Hatake Kakashi's face pulled down in a way that signified he was frowning. Nonetheless, he did not look up from the orange book in his left palm as he spoke.  
"Now, now, Naruto," said their camp counselor, "Don't be a hypocrite. You work part-time as an editor for the author of these books."  
Naruto grumbled in embarrassment while Sakura gasped in horror and Sasuke quirked an amused eyebrow.  
"Pervert!" yelled Sakura, slapping Naruto upside the head. Naruto cried in pain, and then folded his arms.  
"Only because I needed Jiraiya's recommendation for college," Naruto mumbled. "That's why you volunteer for Sound Inc., isn't it, Sasuke?" Naruto said hastily, turning the attention to his male companion. "Isn't that Orochimaru guy involved in some shady stuff?"  
"Like those books aren't shady," countered Sasuke. "But yeah, his recommendation was necessary for my applications."  
"You guys," Sakura said in mock exasperation. "You should volunteer because you _want_ to!" She poked her nose into the air. "I mean, look at_ me!_ I'm an intern under Dr. Senju Tsunade, but _I_ actually WANT to help out!"  
"Hey, I put my all into it, too!" whined Naruto.  
Kakashi coughed, drawing their attention back to him.  
"Your free time's over," he said.  
Nauto and Sakura groaned as one. Sasuke's shoulders sagged for a moment, before he shrugged.  
"At least it was longer than an hour," he said.  
Sakura sighed while Naruto began to laugh.  
"Isn't it always?" said the pinkette.  
"Yeah, Kakashi-sensei can't keep track of time when his head's buried in a book."  
Kakashi sighed, snapping his literature closed. He put it in his pocket and turned back to the group.  
"Tonight's your last night here," he said, sitting down on the ground.  
The three friends grew quiet, shooting glances at each other.  
After this year, they would all be going to different colleges.  
After this year, they would be too old for Camp Konoha.  
After this year, they might never see each other again.  
"I just wanted to tell you guys that it's been an honor knowing you," Kakashi continued. "I've seen you grow from children into strong adults. I'll miss you, Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto," he said, "But we'll meet again." He smiled through his bandana. "I'm not particularly sentimental, but it's not going to be the same around here without you kids."  
Sakura quickly wiped a tear from her eye. Naruto and Sasuke both looked at her in concern, then turned back to Kakashi.  
"I hope you will all be successful as you travel down this new road of your lives," said their camp counselor. "And I hope you never forget the memories we've all shared as Group Seven."  
Naruto grinned.  
"Of course not!" he replied. "We'll always share an unbreakable bond! Believe it!"  
Sasuke rolled his eyes as Sakura giggled. Naruto stood, still grinning.  
And proceeded to tackle Kakashi.  
"Gah! Naruto!"  
"You'll always be Kakashi-sensei!"  
Sakura laughed and dragged Sasuke forward, and the four shared a group hug.  
"Group Seven," she said softly. "We'll always be Group Seven."

* * *

It was midnight, and Naruto and Sasuke were standing outside the girls cabin. They wore swimshorts, and the night air made Naruto shiver.  
"We should've brought towels," he mumbled. Sasuke shushed him.  
"Too late now," his friend said. "Sakura will bring one. Use hers."  
"Jackets would've been nice, too," remarked Naruto, seemingly having ignored the Uchiha's remark. Sasuke sighed frustratedly, resigning himself to silence as they watched the cabin for signs of life.  
After a few minutes, the front door creaked open; Sakura slipped out, slowly closing the door once more. Her bikini was a pale pink under the soft moonlight, and a black pack was hanging on her back. She hurried towards the two boys, a towel in one hand and flip-flops in the other. She placed the shoes on the ground and slid into them, then nodded to Naruto and Sasuke.  
"Let's go," she whispered.  
Without any other words, the three traveled along the path leading to the lake. They walked until they came across a storage cabin used by the camp. Inside, the three knew, were life jackets, paddle boards, nets, fishing hooks and lines.  
Along with canoes.  
Sasuke stepped forward, and Sakura opened the backpack she wore. She pulled out a hairpin, and Sasuke went to work on the padlock on the door.  
Naruto hopped from one foot to the other nervously.  
"Ne, ne," he said, "Are you sure that's gonna work?"  
Sasuke nodded.  
"I've done this before, I told you that."  
Like clockwork, there was a snap, and the lock fell into Sasuke's open hand. He gently placed it to the side, and then yanked the door open.  
Sakura handed the boys flashlights and placed her pack and towel beside the padlock.  
They went inside and searched until coming across a canoe. Together, the three friends managed to navigate their way with the little boat to the door. After hauling the canoe outside, Sasuke and Naruto pulled it to the banks as Sakura retrieved paddles.  
"You don't have to do this if you don't want to," Naruto said to Sakura as she sat in the canoe.  
"Shut up," she replied. "I suggested at dinner we sneak out and do this, didn't I? So we're doing this."  
Naruto shrugged.  
"Okay," he said, then smiled at her in the moonlight. "It's gonna be better with you in the boat, anyways." He tilted his head towards Sasuke. "That way, Sasuke won't try to put the moves on me!"  
"I'm not gay," replied Sasuke calmly as he and Naruto began pushing the canoe into the water. "Or desperate."  
"Hey! Was that an insult?"  
"Why would I _ever_ insult _you,_ dobe?"  
The canoe began to float out into the lake, and the boys hopped inside. Naruto nimbly climbed over Sakura to sit at the front of the canoe, and Sasuke sat in the rear; Sakura sat securely in the middle.  
"You guys can steer," Sakura said teasingly, handing each boy a paddle. "Let's go to the middle of the lake."  
"'Kay," replied Naruto, glancing over his shoulder to gauge the distance before beginning to paddle. Sasuke simply nodded, already rowing.  
Sakura watched the water ripple and splash as the boys silently brought the canoe to the center of the lake.  
Once they were there, the boys put the paddles on the floor of the canoe. Together, Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura looked up into the night sky.  
"There are always so many stars out here," Sakura said wistfully. "I sometimes forget they exist; the light pollution in my city's really bad. You can never see the stars."  
Naruto nodded.  
"Same here," he replied. "Sometimes my parents take me out-of-town and we see them while we're driving, but mostly I just have to know they're up there."  
"I see them sometimes," added Sasuke. "Whenever I'm running business errands for my brother and father, I try to book night flights so I can see them."  
"Rich person," Naruto remarked blandly.  
"Middle-class person," Sasuke replied cheekily.  
"Rich people," said Sakura, poking the guys on their shoulders.  
"Poor person," they replied in unison. Naruto laughed as Sasuke cracked a rare smile. Sakura closed her eyes and stretched, yawning.  
"Tomorrow..." she said, trailing off.  
"Tomorrow," Sasuke repeated. Naruto slowly lifted his arm upward. A star shot across the sky at that moment, and Naruto closed his hand, as if trying to grab it.  
"Tomorrow," he whispered.  
Silence engulfed them yet again for a time. Then...  
"I don't care that you're a pervert, Naruto," Sakura said. Naruto blinked, momentarily startled, before smiling.  
"Thanks. I've always liked your hair," he commented.  
"I've never meant it when I've called you stupid, Naruto," said Sasuke.  
"I know. I've never meant it when I call you teme," replied the blonde.  
"Naruto, your smile always gives me courage," Sakura said.  
"Thank you, Sakura. Sasuke, you need a new haircut," remarked Naruto.  
"No I don't. Your voice is high-pitched for a guys, Naruto," replied Sasuke.  
"It's manly enough! I've always thought of you as a brother," Naruto said.  
"Same here. Sakura, I still don't believe your hair's natural," Sasuke said.  
"Believe it! And I still love you, Sasuke," Sakura said.  
"Sorry, I'm gay."  
Sakura's and Naruto's mouths fell open and they turned their heads to look at Sasuke.  
"I'm **_joking,_**" he said, huffing. "I know, my jokes suck, shut up." Then, he said more seriously, "Thank you, Sakura. I still don't know what I feel for you."  
A pause in the conversation ensued.  
"I still love _YOU,_ Sakura-chan," Naruto said.  
"I love you as a friend, Naruto," replied Sakura. "But it makes me feel happy to know you've loved me all this time. It makes me very, _very_ happy." She paused. "You guys are the best friends I'll ever have."  
"Same here."  
"Hn."  
A breeze blew across the lake surface, causing their hair to blow in the wind. Sakura shivered, placing her arms around herself. She closed her eyes.  
"Do you think we'll ever be this close again?"  
Silence.  
"We'll probably drift apart after this," Sasuke said carefully. "Most people do. We'll have lives after this, after all."  
Sakura sighed.  
"It'd be difficult to keep in contact," she said. "Meeting after a few years apart would make things awkward. We wouldn't know each other any more, would we?"  
Silence.  
"...No,"said Naruto. "We wouldn't."  
Silence.  
"So we're gonna do our best to try, anyway."  
"Of course," affirmed Sakura.  
"Mnn," Sasuke replied.  
Naruto grinned.  
"Believe it!" he said loudly, moving to stand in his enthusiasm.  
"No-!"  
"W-wait-!"  
**SPLASH!**  
The canoe turned over, and the three friends fell into the water. Naruto and Sasuke resurfaced after a few moments, coughing and spluttering. Their eyes met.  
"Sakura," said Naruto.  
Sasuke dived under, and Naruto followed.  
They swam downwards, blind except for the faint glow given off by the moon. Desperately, Naruto reached out.  
He met nothing but water.  
Sasuke stretched his hand out and touched the slippery scales of a fish; yanking his hand back, he looked around himself, but all he saw was the blackness of the water.  
They stayed under until they had to resurface for air.  
"No," breathed Sasuke as Naruto gasped for air.  
"Sakura!" yelled Naruto. "Sakura!"  
"Sakura!" Sasuke's voice joined Naruto's.  
Silence.  
"G-guys! Here!"  
They turned and squinted in the direction where the shore came from. They saw her dim figure dog-paddling fiercely, and the two boys wasted no time in swimming to her side. She latched on to them, and they began to head towards the shore.  
"The canoe," she gasped. "We need to put it up!"  
"First, you need to get to shore," said Naruto.  
Sakura clicked her tongue.  
"Watch," she said, pushing away from them. Both boys reached out for her, but she swam away from their hands.  
Naruto blinked.  
"You _swim?_" he asked, stunned. "S-Since when?"  
"You couldn't two days ago," said Sasuke, equally surprised. "You fell into the river while we were fishing and we had to pull you out."  
"You sank like a rock!" added Naruto.  
Sakura shrugged, paddling back towards them.  
"I don't know," she said. "I'm not really thinking about it. When we fell, I... I just thought, 'swim'...and I did." She floated on her back for a moment, then sat up again. "The canoe?" she reminded them.  
"Bah, screw the canoe," Naruto said, swimming closer to her. He looked at her as she peered up at him, and relief washed over his features. Sasuke, too, swam closer.  
"So, hey," drawled Naruto. He winked. "Now that you can swim, let's skinnydip!"  
She pushed his shoulder.  
"Pervert!"  
"Didn't you say you didn't mind?"  
"I said I don't CARE, not I don't _MIND._"  
"There's a difference?"  
"Don't take his side, Sasuke!"  
"Hey, he wouldn't mind seeing me in my birthday suit! He's _gay,_ remember?"  
"I said it was a joke, you idiot!"  
Silence.  
And then they laughed together under the moonlight.

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**AN: For Naru-Fest, hosted by Naruto-Artists. :) Please look at my Deviantart! (same username). ^^**

**Review on my DeviantArt, please! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: So I looked up the 50 Shinobi Challenge, and when I saw #22, I heard the whisper of a muse imploring me to do this. Added one-shot, for the sake of my sanity. Enjoy, all of you who wanted another chapter! It barely counts, though...**

* * *

The wedding had ended five hours ago. Everyone had left, except him.

He sat contemplatively in a pew near the back. For the wedding, he'd stood beside his best friend, grinning, as the girl he loved had said "I do" to someone else. He had seen it coming. Maybe he'd always known. It didn't make the pain any less, but when he saw her smiling at her husband, he knew this was the best for her.

So here he sat, doing nothing. He had grown since they'd first met, he mused. His blonde hair was roughly the same, as were his blue eyes, but he had grown stronger, both physically as well as mentally. He was much taller; he had just gotten his bachelors degree in history; he had lost Sakura to Sasuke.

Sighing, Naruto shifted in the pew; it creaked beneath him, old wood groaning in protest.

The church was one of those ancient ones, with stained glass windows and high, arching ceilings and incense, walls and ceiling draped with white, gold and yellow for the wedding. A balcony perched over the back of the room, where the voices of the choir were able to float down serenely, like heaven itself opened for the matrimonial ceremony of several hours ago. The altar stood in the centre of the front, raised; directly above it was a circle of stained glass in the roof, and so light filtered through it in yellows and blues and reds and violets and oranges and whites, illuminating the altar in a sea of colors.

Naruto had always wanted to get married in a church like this.

Behind him, he heard the creak of the double doors leading to the sanctuary. Then, quiet but quick shuffling ensued, and soon Naruto made out the form of a young woman around his age. Her shoes padded lightly down the path leading to the altar, flats barely clicking against the polished floors. Her dark hair was neatly separated into braided pigtails on either side of her head, and when she kneeled in front of the altar, the stained glass set her hair aflame with all the colors of the rainbow.

Naruto held his breath until she crossed herself and stood; then he let go of his breath and made to stand. Perhaps, he figured, he should leave; she wore the same white robes the altar servers from the wedding had donned, and if she were here, then maybe they needed to begin preparations for a later mass.

And then she turned around.

She was pale, almost as pale as Sakura's white dress, and Naruto instantly decided against leaving. He cleared his throat and settled back down again, putting his hands together.

Did she glance over at him, or was that a trick of his eyes?

It couldn't be; no, because now she was hurrying towards the lobby area (or at least, that's what he equated it to - he wasn't sure whether fancy churches called parts of their churches different things). He sighed again, wondering if maybe she had only come in to pray. It was plausible, but then why the robe?

His question was answered when the girl hurried back in holding a long stick with a flame at the edge of it; she again kneeled at the altar for a few moments, then proceeded up the steps and lit the two white candles on either side of the altar. She waltzed down the steps again, kneeled, and left the sanctuary again.

Naruto stood and followed, curious. So she was definitely getting ready for something else later... Now what?

He walked out to the lobby in time to see her black hair disappear inside a room marked for clergy. Naruto did his best impression of Sasuke and tried not to look suspicious while standing in the lobby.

He admitted it, he probably looked really creepy, but he was curious. What was she doing, without any help from other altar servers?

The door she had gone into clicked open, and Naruto saw her walking out with a number of candles rather precariously balanced atop each other. Just as the top one began to wobble dangerously, and the young woman let out a small "eep!" of worry, Naruto crossed the distance between them in a few large strides and relieved her of the upper half of her load.

Which was at least five candles. Just like the ones she'd lit inside, they were tall and large, and Naruto couldn't fathom why she was doing this all on her own.

The girl seemed to give a double-take at him, and then blushed, averting her gaze to the floor.

"Th-Thank you," she mumbled. Naruto grinned, nodding.

"No problem," he replied easily, shifting the candles in his arms. After a moments hesitation, the girl spoke again.

"D-Do you mind helping me...?" she asked.

"Sure!" Naruto volunteered, curiosity getting the better of him. He followed her as she approached the double doors; pushing with her hips, she flung one open, and leaned against it to let him pass. Then she practically dove down the aisle toward the altar, and it was all Naruto could to keep up with her. In a flurry of movement, the girl darted about, placing the candles on either side of the altar's steps. Then she approached Naruto, took the candles from his arms (after an awkward moment of hesitation in which she'd just stared at the wax) and put them down as well.

Naruto looked on contentedly as she did this. Her movements were a bit nervous, but they were quiet and carried a grace he definitely imagined an altar server at such a pretty church would possess. Every time she kneeled to put a candle down, her braided pigtails and white robe caught the colored light from the stained glass.

She looked like she belonged here.

When she was done, she turned back towards him.

"Th-Thank you," she said softly. She didn't meet his gaze, which puzzled him a bit, but he didn't bring it up. If there was a reason behind it, it wasn't his to know. It wasn't what he was curious about, at any rate.

"Eh, it was nothing," he said dismissively, smile growing. He put his hands casually behind his head.

He couldn't contain his real question any longer.

"So, what are the candles for?" he asked. She glanced over at the altar, then faced him again. "Is it for a service?"

"U-Uh," she mumbled, "They're f-for Adoration."

Naruto blinked.

"What?"

"A-Adoration," she repeated. She fidgeted with her fingers, and after a few moments of silence, Naruto decided to move on.

"Okay," he said.

Pause.

"What is that, exactly?"

The girl inhaled deeply.

"A-Adoration is an hour of co-co-contemplation and worship of th-the consubstantiation of the body and b-blood of Christ," she said. It seemed recited to Naruto, but sincere at the same time.

Naruto blinked innocently. He didn't understand, but he pretended he did, nodding as if in understanding.

"Makes sense," he lied. The young woman nodded, and then met his eyes.

"I..." She trailed off, biting her lower lip, and Naruto interjected.

"I'm Naruto," he said, smiling at her. This seemed to calm her a bit; she smiled tentatively back, and gave her hand when he extended his.

"H-Hinata," she said in reply.

"I usually don't come to churches," he admitted to her. "I was here because my best friend got married."

Was that a trick of the light, or did her eyes light up a bit?

"S-Sasuke and Sakura?" she asked.

He blinked.

"You know them?" he asked. The girl nodded.

"Sakura's one o-of my h-high school classmates," she explained. "W-We're still good friends."

Ah. It made sense now. This WAS Sakura's hometown, after all. It made sense that someone here would know her.

"So you were at the wedding, then?" Nauto asked. She nodded, and he shrugged. "Eheheh..." he rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. "Guess I must've missed ya, then..."

It was her turn to shrug. She shook her head, smiling softly.

"I-It's okay," she told him. "I-I'm used to it."

Naruto pointed to the candles.

"So, uh... Are you gonna stay for the Adoration?" he asked. It was a silly question (why else would she be setting up?) but he felt compelled to ask it anyhow.

She shook her head.

"I have to go to the party," she said. "S-So I decided to set up a bit b-before I go, so the others won't have s-so much to do." Then she frowned. "A-Aren't you going? To the p-party?"

Naruto slumped.

"Well," he replied. "I don't have anyone to dance with." At her startled expression, he laughed. "I always competed with Sasuke when we were younger." he explained. His mind flashed back to the many canoe races they'd had at camp together as kids. "He's gonna be dancing with Sakura, see, so..." He shrugged, laughing again. "It's dumb, I guess," he said. "But I don't wanna break the tradition."

For a bit, Hinata said nothing.

"I don't th-think it's dumb," she said quietly.

His eyes snapped to hers.

"Really?" he asked.

She nodded.

He looked on, a bit taken aback, and then - very slowly - grinned.

"Heh." He closed his eyes, throwing his arms again behind his head. "Thanks!"

And then his eyes opened as something (which he decided was surely a stroke of pure genius) came to him.

"Hinata," he began.

"Hmm?"

"YOU should dance with me!"

There was a pregnant pause, and then the next thing Naruto knew, she was sprawled across the floor, hair reflecting glass colors.

He yelped and kneeled down to pick her up.

"Hinata!" he cried, warily holding her in his arms. What had happened? He checked her forehead; nope, no fever. Her pulse was a bit fast, but not erratic. And her breathing was evening out...

There! Her eyes opened with a fluttering of eyelashes, and she groggily looked up at him.

"Hinata!" Relief coursed through him. "Thank goodness, I was worried about you, do you need to go to the hospital? I can-"

"Y-Your hair!" Eyes wide (they were white eyes, he noticed), she stared up at him.

"Eh?" He reached up and ran a hand through his blonde spikes; nothing seemed amiss. "What?"

She blushed.

"A-Ah," she said, "I-It's just..." She pointed to the ceiling. "The-The colors look... P-p-pretty... In your hair..." She trailed off.

Naruto grinned, helping her stand.

"They look pretty in yours, too," he replied. Her face turned even more red.

"I-I need to l-l-l-light the ca-candles," she said, and pulled away from him. She hurried down the aisle toward the lobby.

"Wait, Hinata!" he called. She paused, turning toward him, hair flying over her shoulder from the sudden movement, robes swirling around her.

"Y-Yes?" she asked.

His grin grew.

"See you later?"

She hesitated, blushed, then smiled faintly, nodded, and hurried out of the sanctuary, a flurry of robes and dark hair and stained glass colors.

* * *

**A/N: IT IS HAPPENING, Y'ALL. SANTA'S BRINGING US A PUPPY. NAMED IGGY. I love him so much already.**

**Have a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Years, and a wonderful break!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Let's go watch a movie!"

Naruto cheered while Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"That's a _great_ idea, Sakura!" Naruto said, grinning.

"It's a _terrible_ idea." Sasuke rolled his eyes. "It's a waste of time."

Sakura frowned at Sasuke.

"Geez, no need to be such a spoil sport!" She shook her head, then ran a hand through her pink hair. "We have to do SOMETHING. Have you guys seen Paperman?"

Naruto's eyes began to shine.

"The Disney short?" He nodded enthusiastically. "It's _SO_ beautiful! The feels I get from watching it..." He put his hand dramatically to his heart. "It's so cute!"

Sakura laughed, throwing her head back.

"Wow!" She grinned at her blonde friend. "I hadn't expected that kind of reaction from you."

Naruto shrugged, grinning back.

"Hey, I know a good movie when I see it!"

Sasuke snorted.

"It's a short, not a movie," he remarked. "Idiot."

"What do YOU think of it?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"It's cliche," he replied. "Good art, but it's... It's pretty cliche."

"Well, it IS Disney," Naruto quipped. "Whaddaya expect?"

Sasuke responded with a 'Hn.'

"So what do YOU think about it, Sakura?" asked Naruto.

Sakura blushed.

"It's really sweet," she said. She glanced up at Sasuke, then looked away. "Someday... Maybe I can have something magical like that."

"We'll all find someone to throw paper airplanes for," Naruto said, nodding like it was a fact. "Believe it!"

Sakura smiled softly.

"Yeah."

"It's impossible," Sasuke said. "At the very least, unlikely."

"Aww, c'mon, Sasuke!" Naruto shook his head. "Don't be so down all the time."

"Naruto, how likely is it that you'd meet someone because paper airplanes brought you together?" Sasuke countered. "It's silly."

"It's not!" insisted the blonde. "It's _magic_!"

Sasuke snorted again.

"Look," Sakura said, interrupting the boys, "We don't need magic or airplanes, that wasn't the point. The point was that when you meet someone you really like, someone you're meant to be with... You'll find a way. You'll be together, somehow."

Sasuke and Naruto became quiet, considering her words.

"Hn," Sasuke finally acknowledged after some time.

"You're SO right, Sakura!" Naruto said happily.

Sakura nodded sagely.

"Well, it's only to be expected," she said teasingly. "I _AM_ the smartest and wisest of the three of us."

"Hey!" Naruto called. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, right. Also the weakest."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

~•=•~

Looking back on things, Sakura acknowledged they'd all been idiots.

From the first time they'd met at camp, to the first time they'd met on break in college, Sakura realized their signature thing seemed to be doing stupid things. They'd wasted time out on the lake; they'd argued about a short film.

Now, here she was, leaning out of a hotel balcony, wondering what her boyfriend wanted to talk about tonight.

The wind lightly blew her hair, and she sighed.

He had told her he'd drop by her hotel room soon to talk to her. About what, she had no clue. They'd been together for two years now, but they'd known each other for much longer.

The day Uchiha Sasuke had asked her out had been the day Sakura realized dreams could come true.

It was evening. Stars dotted the night, but the city lights cast a brightness to the sky that made it seem more alive than it could without. The moon was round and full, silver, "a wisp of beauty all alone," and so like her that it was amazing. Pockmarked, stunning, and touched by magic.

That described Sakura perfectly. Scars from long ago, beauty, and (somehow) the boy of her dreams.

Gusts of wind continued to blow her hair about her. She tucked her hair behind her ear, but it was in vain: the next time the wind blew, her hair fell into disarray. Huffing, she let it loose this time, letting her pink hair surround her, a pink halo, a pink mess, tossed to and fro by the wind.

She smiled contentedly.

And then, something fell from the sky.

It fell down, directly past her, and she leaned over her balcony, blinking from surprise. It was small and white, and continued to fall down to the ground below her. She was on a high floor, but the object must have come from higher up. She turned her head upward.

Nothing. The balcony above her was empty, as far as she could see. She shook it off, a bit weirded out.

Then another object fell.

She caught this one. It rumpled in her fingers, and it took her a moment to comprehend what she was holding.

A paper airplane.

She blinked in astonishment, and suddenly there were more, raining down from above, some being picked up by the wind and twirling around her head with her hair, and she was laughing, breathless, excited, and then she was running up the stairwell, climbing to the roof.

And when she got there, she wasn't surprised at all to find Sasuke, a bag of paper airplanes in his hand, smirking at her. She approached him, cheeks flushed, and tucked a pink lock of hair behind her ear.

"I thought this whole idea was cliche to you," she said when she'd caught her breath.

"Hn." Sasuke dropped the bag of paper airplanes, and they spilled across the rooftop, scattered in the space between them. "It fits, though."

He reached into his pocket.

Pulled out a box.

Got down on one knee.

Never mind breathing, she couldn't think anymore. Was Sasuke holding a ring?

"Will you marry me, Sakura?" he asked.

Had Sasuke just asked...?

She met his eyes.

And smiled.

"Yes."

And when they kissed, the wind picked up, and they were surrounded by paper airplanes.

* * *

**A/N: Paperman, yall'z. Makes me feel all nostalgic and happy inside. Love Disney. So much. That's all.**


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